The international Paris Air Show is the oldest and largest aerospace trade show in the world. This show is now over 100 years ago, starting in 1909. It started as an exhibition about the future potential of flight and aerospace, but has now become one of the most important meeting places for both professionals and amateurs alike. It was moved permanently to Le Bourget in 1953 and in 1969, the first Boeing 747 jumbo jet was displayed at the Paris Air Show. 2013 marked the 50th iteration of the Paris Air Show, and this year will be the 51st.

The first four days will be more of an industry marketplace for professionals to meet together at what essentially amounts to a trade show. Afterwards, the event morphs into more of a spectacle for enthusiast’s spectacle. Both Boeing and Airbus will be there to show off their respective planes and one particular point of interest is in Boeing’s 747 jets. There have been increasing signs pointing to the discontinuation of 747s in favor of more twin engine planes that provide a larger body, but it appears that Boeing has a tentative order of 20 more 747s on the way by the Volga-Dnepr group. Either way, th companies project to continue to flourish, with both Boeing and its European rival Airbus predict over 30,000 new planes being ordered in the next 20 years.